Propaganda Against BHU Founder Mahamana Malaviya

Because no fitting rebuttal on this matter has been offered to these scholars by BHU or by any authoritative scholar versed in Malaviya literature, the audacity of these so-called researchers has grown so much that they are steadily encroaching further. On websites like Wikipedia, where articles can be edited with great ease, they have made arbitrary changes to the Hindi and English pages of 'Banaras Hindu University', attributing the primary role among the university's builders to Maharaja Rameshwar Singh and reducing Malaviya Ji, the genuine founder, to a mere ordinary founding member. See links:

Banaras Hindu University - Wikipedia Banaras Hindu University - Wikipedia

Such is the frenzy among these scholars to diminish Malaviya Ji that, in their overenthusiasm, they forgot to describe Maharaja Rameshwar Singh Ji as the founder of Banaras Hindu University in his own Wikipedia articles. In those articles, the Maharaja Sahib is designated as the 'President of the Hindu University Society'. See links:

Maharaja Rameshwar Singh - Wikipedia Maharaja Rameshwar Singh - Wikipedia

It goes without saying that both the aforementioned articles written on Maharaja Rameshwar Singh Ji are quite old, and the eyes of these so-called researchers have not yet fallen on them; otherwise, they would have altered those as well.

Had the matter rested there, it might still have been tolerated. But now these scholars are actively conspiring to credit Maharaja of Darbhanga entirely with other works accomplished by Malaviya Ji as well—such as the December 1916 intervention halting the dam construction on the Ganga at Haridwar and concluding an agreement with the British government. It is universally acknowledged that this task was executed primarily by Malaviya Ji, with several rulers and maharajas of the country present on that occasion, including the Maharaja of Darbhanga. Yet, in an article titled 'The Role of Mithilesh Rameshwar Singh in the Unbroken Flow of the Ganga' published in the 'Ganga Special Issue' (Issue 95, Jyeshtha 277 Vi., 08 May–05 June 2020) of the monthly magazine *Dharmayan* published from Patna (Chief Editor: Acharya Kishore Kunal Ji, Editor: Pt. Bhavanath Jha Ji), the author Dr. Vijay Dev Jha Ji has claimed the Ganga agreement was achieved by the Maharaja of Darbhanga, rendering Malaviya Ji's role completely subordinate. See -- Link 

It is noteworthy that Mahamana Malaviya Ji alone was the architect of this historic event; hence, the island located near Brahmakund in Haridwar was named 'Malaviya Dweep' and his statue was consecrated there. Furthermore, whenever Haridwar required the Mahamana, Malaviya Ji answered the call. Although this subject is vast, I shall leave it here.

I wish to inquire of the aforementioned scholars in all humility—

1. If the real founder of Banaras Hindu University was indeed the Maharaja of Darbhanga, with what ignoble objective were all documents relating to him withheld from publication by the Darbhanga family for an entire century, or why were they not deposited with the National Archives or the Nehru Memorial Museum?

2. If the Maharaja of Darbhanga was the true founder, how many universities were established in Darbhanga itself during his lifetime?

3. Does the venerable Dr. Annie Besant (1857–1933), who surrendered her Central Hindu College founded in 1898 once and for all to Banaras Hindu University, not count as a founder of BHU? If tomorrow the descendants of Dr. Annie Besant come forward and claim that BHU came into existence only because Annie Besant contributed Central Hindu College, and that she is the true founder, who will answer them?

4. Should the Maharaja of Kashi, who provided the vast 1,400-acre tract of land for the construction of BHU—whether by gift or against financial consideration—not be regarded as the real founder of this Hindu University? No one speaks of him at all. (I have written 'against financial consideration' because the 'Appeal of the Honorable Justice Gokaran Nath Misra for the Hindu University' published in the November 1926 issue of the old journal *Madhuri* explicitly mentions a 'loan of 6 lakh rupees incurred for the land'.)

5. Not only the Maharaja of Darbhanga, but also the ruler of Bikaner, Maharaja Sir Ganga Singh Ji (1888–1943), corresponded with British officials for the establishment of Banaras Hindu University, traveled across the country alongside Mahamana Malaviya Ji collecting donations, and contributed immense wealth himself. Why, then, should Maharaja Ganga Singh not be regarded as the founder? If similarly the descendants of Maharaja Ganga Singh Ji of Bikaner assemble the records relating to BHU and Ganga Singh Ji and raise a hue and cry that the real founder was Maharaja Ganga Singh, what will happen then?

6. When the 'Banaras Hindu University Bill' was introduced in the Imperial Legislative Council (the Viceroy's Imperial Legislative Council) in the year 1915, who stood up in that chamber to plead the cause?

In our tradition, whenever a new institution is established, there is an ancient custom of appointing certain wealthy, influential, and eminent figures of society as 'patrons' or 'presidents'. Mahamana Malaviya Ji followed this very tradition and enlisted prominent kings from across the country as 'patrons' in the grand plan of Banaras Hindu University. The Maharaja of Darbhanga, Maharaja Rameshwar Singh Ji himself, was made President of the 'Hindu University Society', and indisputably, like many other rulers, his benevolent patronage was extended over Mahamana Malaviya Ji.

There can be no two opinions that hundreds of luminaries contributed directly and indirectly to this colossal and noble enterprise. Yet it must be underscored that stringing all those dignitaries together like pearls, standing at the very center of the BHU vision, looms a magnificent figure akin to Kashi Vishwanath Himself. Who is that figure? Who is that personage who not only mobilized the whole of India for the founding of the Hindu University, but also collected crores of rupees in donations?

Indisputably, that person is Bharat Ratna Mahamana Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya